WOODLAND PARK – A recent lawsuit filed in Superior Court in Paterson accuses a former borough police officer of luring and enticing a child and attempted aggravated sexual assault, charges that the officer, Steven Vigorito Jr., pled guilty to in 2013.

But Vigorito’s ex-girlfriend of nearly six years says the 12-year-old girl, who the lawsuit claims, her ex-boyfriend made inappropriate remarks to, gave his private cell phone number to, and asked her to text with during the course of his police duties, is not the only one who has suffered in this case.

Rasha Abualragheb, 33, a former Woodland Park resident, who moved to Morris County because of the controversy, said during a interview at a diner in Pompton Plains this month that the public outcry and media frenzy resulting from her boyfriend’s case led to the victimization of herself and her three children.

She said the media was "all over my house," and people were "throwing rocks" at her home after Vigorito’s arrest.

An officer responded to that call to investigate, but Abualragheb alleges that, the police did not protect her from further public interference at her home and later worsened the situation for her children by speaking about the case with crossing guards.

Abualragheb said she even filed a complaint with the department’s internal affairs division, but she was not pleased with the result. The threat of harassment from the public concerned her even more when Vigorito was released on bail. She had reason for concern as officials at the time had said he sent explicit photos of himself to undercover detectives posing as the 12-year-old girl and that he arranged to meet with the "child" for a sexual purpose.

"I said ‘he’s out on bail. I need a police car outside my residence," Abualragheb said. "I have three kids. He’s coming back and I don’t want crazy people coming. They didn’t send a police car.’"

Borough police Chief Anthony Galietti declined to speak about the investigation that resulted from Abualragheb’s complaint, but said that if she disagreed with his department’s findings, she had the right to bring the matter to the prosecutor’s office, which oversees his department.

Galietti also asserts that his department did what was needed to protect the Abualraghebs.

"We had cops up there when they needed to be there," he said. "She has never addressed that issue with me or never made any kind of complaint to me."

"Her perception of what we should do and what reality is are two different things," he added.

Because of the controversy in town, Abualragheb said, she regrettably left the borough shortly after her boyfriend’s arrest. "Mountain View Drive, that was my kids' dream home," she said.

Abualragheb said her children, especially her 12-year-old daughter, have experienced bullying at both their current schools and in Woodland Park as a consequence of Vigorito's public reputation

"I know my kids are going to live with it for the rest of their lives," said Abualragheb, who also has a 2-year-old-girl and 5-year-old boy. "Two of them carry his middle name and his last name."

And she too experienced trouble, when her co-workers at the Park West Diner in Little Falls, where she used to wait tables before changing jobs, learned of her situation.

Although now she wants the public to know her full story, Abualragheb said she was trying to hide her identity by going to work at an up-county diner, where eventually her story became known too.

"I don’t want to be harassed," she said. "I don’t want to be bullied."

The emotional pain she experiences has been overwhelming: "Do I cry every night? Do I suffer every day? I suffer every single second."

WOODLAND PARK – A recent lawsuit filed in Superior Court in Paterson accuses a former borough police officer of luring and enticing a child and attempted aggravated sexual assault, charges that the officer, Steven Vigorito Jr., pled guilty to in 2013.

But Vigorito’s ex-girlfriend of nearly six years says the 12-year-old girl, who the lawsuit claims, her ex-boyfriend made inappropriate remarks to, gave his private cell phone number to, and asked her to text with during the course of his police duties, is not the only one who has suffered in this case.

Rasha Abualragheb, 33, a former Woodland Park resident, who moved to Morris County because of the controversy, said during a interview at a diner in Pompton Plains this month that the public outcry and media frenzy resulting from her boyfriend’s case led to the victimization of herself and her three children.

She said the media was "all over my house," and people were "throwing rocks" at her home after Vigorito’s arrest.

An officer responded to that call to investigate, but Abualragheb alleges that, the police did not protect her from further public interference at her home and later worsened the situation for her children by speaking about the case with crossing guards.

Abualragheb said she even filed a complaint with the department’s internal affairs division, but she was not pleased with the result. The threat of harassment from the public concerned her even more when Vigorito was released on bail. She had reason for concern as officials at the time had said he sent explicit photos of himself to undercover detectives posing as the 12-year-old girl and that he arranged to meet with the "child" for a sexual purpose.

"I said ‘he’s out on bail. I need a police car outside my residence," Abualragheb said. "I have three kids. He’s coming back and I don’t want crazy people coming. They didn’t send a police car.’"

Borough police Chief Anthony Galietti declined to speak about the investigation that resulted from Abualragheb’s complaint, but said that if she disagreed with his department’s findings, she had the right to bring the matter to the prosecutor’s office, which oversees his department.

Galietti also asserts that his department did what was needed to protect the Abualraghebs.

"We had cops up there when they needed to be there," he said. "She has never addressed that issue with me or never made any kind of complaint to me."

"Her perception of what we should do and what reality is are two different things," he added.

Because of the controversy in town, Abualragheb said, she regrettably left the borough shortly after her boyfriend’s arrest. "Mountain View Drive, that was my kids' dream home," she said.

Abualragheb said her children, especially her 12-year-old daughter, have experienced bullying at both their current schools and in Woodland Park as a consequence of Vigorito's public reputation

"I know my kids are going to live with it for the rest of their lives," said Abualragheb, who also has a 2-year-old-girl and 5-year-old boy. "Two of them carry his middle name and his last name."

And she too experienced trouble, when her co-workers at the Park West Diner in Little Falls, where she used to wait tables before changing jobs, learned of her situation.

Although now she wants the public to know her full story, Abualragheb said she was trying to hide her identity by going to work at an up-county diner, where eventually her story became known too.

"I don’t want to be harassed," she said. "I don’t want to be bullied."

The emotional pain she experiences has been overwhelming: "Do I cry every night? Do I suffer every day? I suffer every single second."